Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
A Tanzanian man who refused to self quarantine and walked around without a mask has sparked outrage in Beijing prompting demands that officials “deport him”.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging platform, a hashtag reading ‘Tanzanian man returns to Beijing and refuses quarantine’ has been seen more than 10 million times in under 20 hours.
According to residents living in his gated community in the Chinese capital, the unnamed African returned to Beijing on 27th March and already left his rental home the following day despite being given a 14-day quarantine order.
A community health worker reported that he ignored warnings in order to collect a parcel, and then left his home again on 29th March without a surgical mask.
He is also accused of breaking a magnetic alarm fitted to his door, which alerts health workers of unauthorised movements.
Neighbour Mr Wang, who who lives in the same block, told local media: “Every homeowner in the residential district is furious!”
Beijing police were called on 31st March and a new magnetic alarm has been installed.
The Tanzanian was given a stern warning by the cops, and has promised not to leave his home until his two-week quarantine period is over.
The district’s health worker reported: “He was tested once in Shanghai and once in Beijing. Both came out negative [for COVID-19].
“Now he’s not allowed to leave his home and can’t collect deliveries – we send them to his door.
“He can’t even use the stairwell. If he leaves, we’ll call the police.”
The health worker revealed that the Tanzanian had attempted to fly back to his country, but only reached as far as Dubai and found no more connecting flights, forcing him to return to China.
Members of the public comment in their thousands online have called for officials to deport the visitor for flouting the country’s strict disease-prevention measures, which were ramped up on 28th March with a border closure affecting all foreign nationals with few exceptions.
Weibo user ‘Xiamu Guanzhang’ said: “Arrest and then deport him.”
‘Fuer Jiana’ added: “Just deport him!”
‘Pekaqiu Qiuqiu’ wrote: “We deported that Australian jogger, so there’s already precedent. Why not do the same?”
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